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The Five Schools
The Five Schools Situated within the Seat of Heaven are the Five Schools of the Mage, sacred learning institutions for the magically gifted, where the most promising young people are trained in the art of magic. It's a place where mages commune with the gods and learn to use their blessings for the betterment of mankind. The school is run by the Council of Five, with one mage from each element chosen to represent his or her element on the Council. Decisions are made via popular vote. Only the most worthy are admitted, and only after they are tested and inspected by the Council of Five in the Temple of Trials. Of course, this means that parents who feel their children should be considered have to make the often long and expensive trip to the Five Schools. Students The Five Schools accept students between the ages of ten and fourteen for training in their magical affinities. Students are sorted based on the elemental god that has shown them favor (Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Mind), and training can last eight years or ten, depending on the student's element of study. Ritual Much of magery is wrapped up in ritual, and that's what students of the Five Schools spend much of the first six years learning. They practice chanting and meditation and learn to focus and harness their power. To cast magic with ritual will typically require two hours of concentration before casting a single spell. Upon the completion of their sixth year of study, the student mage is marked with a tattoo to denote the god to whom they've sworn their allegiance. Facial tattoos are most highly regarded by other mages, as it shows the greatest dedication, but student mages can choose anywhere to take the tattoo. It is at this point that the students begin to learn to build on their power, crafting secret talismans that harness and amplify their power and fine tuning their magic. The talisman is incredibly powerful, as it allows the mage to cut down the time of ritual from hours to mere moments as they manipulate their talisman. It takes days of intense ritual to form a new talisman and it must be carried out at the Five Schools, so mages guard their talismans jealously. Most will continue to carry out some trappings of ritual--waving a wand, pouring items into a bowl, etc.--to mask which item they hold is the true talisman. Though each use of a talisman does not take up time as heavy ritual does, they will soon be drained of their power and focus. Talismans of a new mage will only last through five spells before the mage must engage in four hours of meditation to recharge it. With time and effort, this charge can hold through more spells. Most mages gain a charge for every five years since their graduation. Those who have not been inducted into the secrets of magery are normally unaware of the existence of talismans. As far as they know, magery can only be accomplished through ritual. Graduation is a second trip to the Temple of Trials, where the new mages are again tested before they're allowed to leave the Five Schools. Other Magic As mages are all trained at the Five Schools, they deeply mistrust outside magic and those who wield it, including druids and healers. Spells Each element has its own spell book. It takes years of study and practice to gain new spells. Upon graduation, most mages know two and will add another spell every five years. This process may be sped up under incredibly taxing situations, such as a mage in war who is using up all of their spell charges every day. The learning of spells goes from the first listed to the last, as easier spells come soonest. No mage may be directly harmed by their own spells. Fire and water mages have the additional benefit of being immune to their elements directly harming them. Fire Spark: The mage can form a small spark on their finger which can be used to light fires. It's typically only good for especially dry tinder or candles. After one minute, the spark disappears from the mage's finger. Fireball: The mage can summon two small fireballs that fit in his or her palm. These can be laid onto other objects to start fires. If not fed, the fire will fade after five minutes from summoning. Comet: A single medium fireball is summoned and can be flung through the air at a target. If not fed, the fire will fade within five minutes of summoning. Heat: The mage can increase the temperature within a ten foot radius by twenty degrees for twenty minutes at a time. Tongues: The mage can control already existing fires and guide where they might go. This lasts for an hour. Wind Bluster: '''Summons a mild to moderate blowing wind. Useful for rustling papers or creating background noise to mute the sound of footsteps. Maximum duration of five minutes. '''Gust: '''Powerful but short-lived. Capable of kicking up dust to blind enemies, or even knock them off their feet. Individual gusts may be short, but may be reused for five minutes. '''Prevailing Winds: '''Allows the mage to alter direction of the wind once in their immediate area. Wind blowing northwest can be shifted to southwest. This shift can only happen once, to change the direction again requires a second spell. Lasts ten minutes. '''Flex: Gives the mage total control of the direction and force of the wind. Duration five minutes. Cyclone: '''Summons a highly destructive spiral of wind, capable of ripping trees from the earth and sharing buildings from their foundations. May be created over land or water. Powerful, deadly, and nearly impossible to control once it is summoned. Duration of five to ten minutes, depending on the skill of the mage. Water '''Droplet: The mage can collect a small amount of water, up to the size od a small puddle. After five minutes, the water will begin to dissipate. Mist: Causes a light mist to moderate rain in a diameter of 20 feet surrounding the mage. May make surfaces slippery and reduce visibility. In sufficiently cold weather the water may freeze into sleet or snow. Lasts five minutes. Tule: Summons an incredily dense fog that reduces visibility to near zero within fifty feet of the mage. Lasts ten minutes. Transmute: A spell to alter water between its three forms: liquid, solid, and vapor. One spell performs one transmutation lasting five minutes. Torrent: Grants the mage control over any body of water. Allows them to alter the direction of streams, the force of waves, even falling rain. Lasts five minutes. Earth Mold: A spell of manipulation. The mage can use his or her hands to mold stone for one minute. Tremble: The mage can summon a very mild earthquake, which lasts for about fifteen seconds. It ranges in severity from 3.0 to 3.9 on the Richter scale. Hands of Creation: Further manipulation. The mage can turn sand to clay and manipulate it for two minutes before it solidifies like pottery. Shake: The mage can summon a moderate earthquake, which lasts for thirty seconds. It ranges in severity from 5.0 to 5.9 on the Richter scale. Carve: With a gesture, the mage can split rock assunder to a depth of three feet. Mind Whisper: The mage can project her thoughts to the mind of another, so long as they are within sight. This spell is limited to one person at a time, lasting an hour. Listen: The mage can pick up the surface thoughts of another, again with the sight limitation. This spell is limited to one person at a time, lasting two hours. Bind: The mage can prevent another from casting any magic--including changing their form if they're Strainseir--by either touching them or tricking them into touching an object he has enchanted. This spell is limited to one person at a time, lasting a full day. Command: Instead of simply whispering into another mind, the mage can issue commands that the target finds difficult to disobey. This spell is limited to one person at a time, lasting an hour. Search: Going far beyond surface thoughts, the mage can plunder the target's mind for information. This spell is limited to one person at a time, lasting an hour. Category:Seat of Heaven Category:Peoples of Domhain Byd Category:Magic Users